Upgrades reduce Route 100 crashes, study finds

After a $1.5 million investment for safety-related improvements, crashes along Route 100 in northern Chester County were reduced by 30 percent between 2007 and 2011, an analysis by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission found.

Improvements along the 8-mile stretch of road from the Pottstown area to Font Road in Upper Uwchlan included surface treatment, tree management to help the roads dry faster, additional signage and speed enforcement.

The commission examined the road after 10 fatal crashes between 2003 and 2006 and recommended several short-term safety improvements. Since the improvements have been implemented, the number of fatal crashes dropped to three from 2007 to 2011, and none were reported in 2012, according to Regina Moore, a transportation engineer with the commission.

“A lot of the credit goes to (the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation), since they were the implementors of the safety improvements, which helped to reduce crashes along the corridor,” Moore said. “We couldn’t have reached this point if it weren’t for the stakeholders (state legislators and municipalities) caring to see that something got done to improve safety on (Route) 100 and being supportive of working with us in helping to develop recommendations.”

One of the most successful changes was the use of Nova Chip friction treatment, which helped to decrease the number of crashes in which cars left the road and struck a tree, pole or fence, Moore said.

The 2006 safety study, initiated by state legislators and municipal officials, found that from 2000 to 2005 — excluding 2002 due to unavailable data — 382 reported were crashes. Of those, 43 percent were crashes in which cars left the road, and nearly a third occurred between October and December, when wet weather and slippery conditions were a contributing factor.

In the 2013 safety analysis by the commission, crashes involving vehicles leaving the road were down to 29 percent of the total, thanks to increased road surface friction and tree management. Other safety strategies, such as adding signs, rumble strips and pavement markings and increased enforcement also contributed to the overall reduction of crashes along the segment, the report found.

The commission “took the lead in identifying the issues and helping to make safety recommendations, but this was a collaborative effort which made the biggest difference,” Moore said.

After the initial analysis of Route 100 showed that speeding was a major cause of crashes along the corridor, PennDOT also designated the section a Safety Corridor in March 2007. A road considered a Safety Corridor is subject to more signage, increased enforcement and higher fines for violations.

“The average speed of motorists traveling over the posted speed limit dropped after the traffic enforcement details and road improvements were in place,” said West Vincent Police Chief Michael Swininger. “I believe it was a combination of all the safety measures installed by PennDOT in conjunction with the saturated police patrols, increased fines due to the safety corridor designation and driver education through the media.

“Motorists became very aware of their speed, which was the main factor in many of the prior accidents, especially during inclement weather,” Swininger said.

The police chief said a $5,000 grant secured by state Sen. Andrew Dinniman, D-19th of West Whiteland, helped the process.

“Numerous warnings and 397 citations were issued by police,” Swininger noted. “Unfortunately, when the grant ran out, funding was not replaced and police presence on Route 100 in West Vincent Township has since been reduced.”

PennDOT is continuing with safety improvements on the Route 100 corridor in Upper Uwchlan, West Vincent, East Nantmeal, South Coventry and North Coventry through 2015, said Brad Rudolph, PennDOT safety press officer. The project includes the addition of two police enforcement pull-off areas, the addition of a left-turn lane on northbound Route 100 at Route 23, the re-application of high friction pavement and flattening a curve between Black Horse Road and Cedar Lane.

Additionally, PennDOT is planning on improvements to reduce crashes along Route 896 between Elbow Lane in New Britain and Shepherd Lane in New London, Rudolph said, that include increasing lane and shoulder widths, improving drainage and installing rumble strips.

“In the future, we anticipate implementing high friction surface improvements, similar to Route 100, at more locations, but specific locations and funding for such an initiative has not yet been determined,” Rudolph said.